Artificial limb



0. E. WORMAN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.2I. 1918.

1,343,298. PatentedJune15,.1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1'.

96% fm/enfors Oscar E. Worman.

5g MW 0. E. WORMAN.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2h I918.

' 1,343,298. PatentedJune15,1920.

2' SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Oscar E. Worman.

his Affornegs.

UNITED STATE r ATi T OFFicsf OSCAR E. WORIVIAN, or MINNEAPOLIS;MINNESOTA.

ARTIFICIAL LIMB.

tion.

My invention relates to artificial limbs V and more particularly toartificial members for use in cases of amputation below the knee,although some of the essential features may also be used in cases ofamputat on above the knee. An object of my invention is to provide anartificial member which will not only resemble the corresponding humanmember in appearance, but will function in a manner similar thereto, sothat persons who have been crippled by the loss of certain limbs mayhave'their usefulness restored while at the same time the handicap inpersonal appearance is overcome. Another object is to provide anartificial limb wh ch may be readily manufactured and which will insurethe greatest degree of comfort to the wearer The full objects andadvantages of my invention will appear in'connection wlth the detaileddescription thereof and the novel features embodied in my inventive ideaare particularly pointed out in the claims. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate my inventionembodied in an artificial limb intended for use more particularly incases ofamputation below the knee.

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section showing a foot and shankmemberattachedv to the stump below the knee. Fig. 2 is a side View showing thelower knee joint strap extending from the knee joint to the ankle joint.Fig. 3 is a View showing the shank member constructed in skeleton forminstead of in the form of a shell. Fig. 1 is a View showing the kneebent into the position which it assumes when the wearer is seated. Fig.5 is a plan view of the slip socket and the collar attached thereto.Fig. 6 is a' view in cross-section showing a construction of joint'whichmay be used for the shell m'embers of artificial limbs. Fig; 7'is a viewin cross-section showing another form of joint for the shell members.Figs. 8 to 12are detail views showing the construction of a iSpecification of Letters Patent. Patented J 15' 1920; Application filedOctober 21, 1918. Serial No. 258,965. I

edge View of one of straps. v

Referring to the particular construction shown inthe drawings whichillustrate the the lower knee joint view of an attaching button. F ig 14is an principles of my invention, and which may be varied in regard tomechanical details without departing from the spirit of the invention,14. designates a shank member havmg a foot member 16 pivotally connectedto the lower end thereof and having a' slip socket 18 supported in' theupper end thereof. If desired the foot member may be rigidly attached tothe shank member with or without an ankle joint and the foot member maybe formed of felt, wood, fiber, metal, rubber, leather or anycombination thereof with or without a flexible toe member. A block 20formed of wood or other suitable material is securely held within thebottom portion of the shank by screws, nails, rivets or glue. This blockextends substantially to the bottom of the shank member and serves tostrengthen and reinforce the latter, and also serves as-a means to whichtheankle joint is attached. The rear portion of the block is preferablybeveled, so that the shell projects a little at the rear, and thisprojecting portion cooperates with a cut-out portion in the foot memberadjacent thereto. In this way the space between the shank and footmember is substantially closed. The ankle joint is so constructed as tobe self-oiling, and a convenient form of construction for this purposeis shown in detail in Figs. 8 to 12. A cylindrical shell or hollowjournal bearing 22 has secured to it two rods 24 which extend up throughholes in the block 20, these rods being screw-threaded at their upperends to receive nuts 26 which may be locked in any suitable manner, asby aspring member vbetween them, as shown for locking the nuts at thelower end of the foot member. The

hollow member 22 is adapted to receive a' lubricant such as hard oil,grease or absorbent material for gradually supplying the oil with whichit is impregnated. The lubricant isretained rinsaidmember by closing}the ends thereof, as by" means' 'of plugs-28. One of these may be usedateac h;

the container is provided with a small opening at 32 through which thelubricant may which the member is preferably provided.

This portion ofthe member 22 constitutes a'bearingto receive the'curvedportion'of a.

yoke or U bolt which may be formed from a metal rod bent or curved intothe proper shape, and which is flattened to form an extended bearingsurface which is preferably of such extent as to extend entirely betweenthe two flanges The two lower ends of the U bolt are screw-threaded toreceive angular nuts 42 after the ends. have been passed through holesin the foot member 16, and also through holes in a bar washer or plate46 lying in a recess inthe bottom of the foot member. This recess isnormally covered by a pad member 47 of felt,leather or rubber and thepad may be turned back from the foot member so as to expose the recess,as shown in Fig. 1, by'

' loosening the screw or other fastening device which is customarilyprovided at the heel. nuts is preferably provided, and for this purposeI show a curved spring 48-located between the two nuts and secured inplace by a screw 50 passing through the plate 46.

The ends of the curved spring 48 may be provided with serrations ornotches 52 to engage the nuts. It is. evident that by thisconstruction-the nuts will be prevented from becoming looseand'maybetightened if desired to take up wear. Thecurved spring 48- may also beused betweenthe nuts 26 to lockthem as previously" stated. "The footmember 16 is pivotallyr mounted upon the lower end of the shank by themeans just described and is held in normal position by cushion membersor buffe'rs 54 and 56 located, respectively, in front of and behind theankle joint. These buffers are 'posi'- tioned between the foot member 16and-the block 20 and may consist of rubber or spring cushions, and incase metal springs are used they may be covered with leather) As ishown, the buffer 5l-is constructed of rub bera'nd the'buii'er- 56 1sZL'COll sprmgfThis spring is preferably adjustable, and the fol-. lowingmeans maybeemployed for effecting the desired adjustment; The member 46has one end thickenedfas by means of a nut 57 secured thereto andinternallyscrew-thread ed to receive the screw-threaded lower end of abolt 59 having an enlarged head or washer (il to'enga'ge the lower endofthe spring '56. The extreme lower end of, the

bolt 59-maybe made square or'provided with a'notch, as shown, wherebyitmaybe readily A suitable locking device for the turned to adjust thetension of the spring ror to take up any looseness thereof. A lock nut63, shown in section in Fig. .11, may be provided for the bolt 59. Thelower por .tion of the hollow member 22 rests in the curved recess inthe top of the foot member, and this recess may have a lining ofleather,

fiber, metal or otherdurable material to prevent wear of the footmember. foot is, on the ground, the weightof 'the weareris supported bythe hollowmember 22 resting in its"recess,land when: the foot is lifted,the foot member is held to the shank member on accountof the portion 40of the U bolt engaging the hollow member. As shown in Fig. 1, the platein the recess When the in the bottom of the footmember may have itsfront end 65 turned downwardly and provided with. a screw-threadedopening-to receive screw threadson a bolt v67', the head of whichengages a. spring '69 which is-located. between the main portion of thefoot member and a jointed toe member secured Y thereto "by a suitablehinge 71. the foot member above the j oint-isclosed by means of a cover73 .of leather or other suitable flexible material. I

The shank member is pivotally connected to the upper leg members byaknee joint formed least a portion of the weight of the wearer 18supported upon the ankle joint member;

The straps are preferably securely fastened to the block 20 and to theshell of the shank in case a-shell-is employed, by means of' rivets,screws or other suitable fastenin s.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1 ,'.t e lower knee joint strapsextend down from the knee joint-only a suflicient distance to besecurely fastened to the shell by rivets, nails or screws and the upperportion of the straps is preferably formed with an inside The top 'ofprojection or offset 6% to rest upon the upper J edge of the shell-ofthe shank so as to relieve the strain and pressure which would otherwisecome upon the fasteners which secure the strap to 'theshell. F Theoffset or projection 64 may rest in anotch or groove 65 in theupper edgeor side of'the shank, and it is obvious that the offset or projec-- tionand the notch. orgroovemay be used Wltli the long straps, as well' as"with the short straps. InFig. 1, the top of the shank and a portion'ofthe socket member "toward the observer are 'broken away so as to showthepro ection or offset onthe knee joint strap which isflon the sideaway-from the observer. Fig. 14 is an edge view of a convenient form oflower knee joint strap, and, as shown in this figure, the strap isoffset to provide a shoulder 31 to rest upon the top of the shank memberor to be located within a recess in the top edge of such member. Theshank member preferably serves as a guide for the slip socket 18,although it may if desired be used itself as a socket. The socket may beconstructed of fiber, leather, rubber, textile material or any othermoldable material, or any combination thereof which can be fitted to thestump of the wearer so that the limb may be worn with comfort and easewithout chafing or irritating the stump. The socket may be shaped bymolding over the stump or over a reproduced model of the same. Thesocket may be set in the top of the shank with or without being fastenedthereto; with or without attachments for holding it to the limb; with orwithout attachments for suspending it from above; with or withoutattachments for holding it up to the stump of the wearer while the limbis being used; with or without attachments for permitting the socket tobe released or lowered from the stump when the knee of the wearer isbent into po sition while seated for the purpose of resting the stumpand for preventing heating and sweating and resultant tenderness. Thesocket is provided with a shoulder or collar 66 which, as shown, inFigs. 1 and 2, may

have a straight lower edge adapted to come into contact with thesimilarly-shaped upper edge of the shank when the weight of the weareris received by the socket. The socket is preferably formed with a guideon each side for receiving as a. guide, the lower knee joint straps sothat the socket may work up and down without turning out of position orleaving its proper place on the stump of the wearer. For this purpose,the collar portion 66 may be provided with recesses 68 on each side, asbest shown in Fig. 5, or the socket may be provided with projections toreceive between them, the knee joint straps. Fig. 2 shows a desirableconstruction of the collar 66 for the upper end of the slip socket andthe adjacent or upper edge of the shank member. As illustrated in thisfigure, the lower edge of the collar is inclined upwardly from the frontat each side until it reaches the knee joint straps and the rear loweredge of the collar is straight and at the place where it meets the rearedge of the lower knee joint strap at each side. of the shank is builtup so as to form a shoulder 7 9 flush with the outer surface of thestraps. The upper edge of the shank member is shaped to correspondwithithe adjacent lower edge of the collar. The shoulder 7 9 extendsdown farther than the inclined adjacent portion ofthe collar, and beingbuilt up flush with the outer surface of the knee straps engages thevertical portion of the shank where the straight rear edge starts at alower level The socket is preferably hung on supports consisting ofleather, rubber, metal or any flexible, durable and strong material inor-" der tohold the socket up to the stump of the wearer when in use.These supports may consist of a loop fastened at its lower ends to thesocket byrivets, buttons or hooks, and the upper end ofthe loop isconnected to the upper leg member in any suitable manner, as by means ofa spring, elastic, band or cord, which in turn may be secured to a lacersurrounding the upper leg member, or secured to the upper part of theupper knee strap. As shown, a loop member 70 is attached to the socketby buttons 72 and a spring or flexible member 74 0on nects this loop toa loop 7 6 which is .secured in any suitable manner to the lacer 78. Theloop 76 is preferably adjustably secured in any suitable manner. Asshown, a button 77 is provided over which any one of a series ofbutton-holesin the loop may be placed. By means of these connections,

the socket is held up to the stump of the wearer when walking orstanding, but, as shown in Fig. 4, the socket is released or loosenedfrom the stump when the wearer bends the knee in a sitting. position,thereby preventing heating and sweating of the stump and also restingthe same. The loop 7 for the socket may also be adjusted by usingbuckles or a screw adjustment similar to the rod 59. o

The upper knee joint strap 58 is pivotally connected to the lower kneejoint strap by means of the cylinder, bushing or bolt 62 which may beheld in position by a screw or fastener so inserted asto prevent thesame from becoming loose, and said fastener being preferably soconstructed as to come flush with the joint. The upper end of the kneejoint strap 58 is fastened to the lacer 7 8 by means of rivets, screws,or other suitable fasteners, or may be glued or sewed thereto, and saidstrap may be attached on either the inside or. outside of the lacer, orbetween layers thereof.

The lacer 78 maybe made of leather, rubber, textile material or anyother suitable material or combination thereof, which may be broughtaround. the thigh and securely fastened thereto, and a lining may bepro-.

vided if desired. The lacer may be secured in position on the limb ofthe wearer in any ing material running through eyelets, loops,

. hooks or any suitable kind of opening permitting of drawing the lacertight upon the limb. As shownin Figs. 1, 2 and 4c, the lacer is providedwith a row of eyelets 82 on each side .of the vertical opening, and alacing 84; runs through the eyelets. If desired, the lacer may beprovided with a tongue or flap 86 made ofleather, rubber, textilematerial or any other suitable materialto protect the skin of the wearerfrom irritation by the fasteners or the lacing. The tongue may befastenedby sewing or riveting, or it may be a continuous part .Iof thelacer when the latter is made withmorethan one ply. In applying thelacer, the limb may be inserted from the top, and it is not necessary toentirely open up the lacer, as by completely removing the lacing. Asshown in Fig. 3, each side ofthe vertical opening in' the lacer isprovided with a row of combined eyelets and hooks, the eyelet portionbeingv designated by 82 and the hook portion by 87. The lacing mayextend through either the eyelets or the hooks, or partly through theeyelets and partly through the hooks. As illustrated, the lower part ofthe lacing extends through eyelets, the portion above this is passedover some of the hooks, while at the upper end, the lacing passesthrough the upper eyelet at each side of the opening. The lacer may, ifdesired, be constructed without a side or vertical opening so'as to formone continuous piece.

While the customary stop with which the knee joint at 62 is provided maybe relied upon to prevent the. shank from swinging too far forwardrelatively to the thigh member, a non-adjustable check or hold-back 88is preferably provided extending from the shank to the lacer at the rearand consisting of leather, rubber, cord or any other suitable materialfastened or secured by buttons, hooks, eyelets or any other suitableattachments inserted in the shank and the lacer directly, or inserted insuitable material at tached to the shank and lacer. This check orhold-back relieves the strain on the knee joint and acts as a stop whenthe upper and lower leg members reach a vertical, or the desiredposition.

The limb may be supported from the shoulder by means of suspendersextending to the front part of the shank and fastened thereto by meansof a suitable fastener'or button 92 at each side'of the shank. Thesuspenders may be made of webbing, leather, elastic or textile material,or'any combination thereof with suitable buckles or fasteners.The'buttons 92 are preferably constructed as shown in Fig. 13, and arecomposed of metal or suitable material adapted to form a button having abase 94: to rest upon the material, and having an enlarged outer portionto form a head 96 of any desirable shape. The buttons have a I holeextending centrally therethrough to receive a rivet having a head 98 bywhich the buttons are secured to the limb member. A blow on the outerend of the rivet serves to secure the buttons in place after they havebeen properly positioned upon the limb member. The other buttons whichare used, 1

block 20 to the top ofthe shank, the ,bands' and straps being securedtogetherin suitable manner, as by riveting or welding.Thisskeletonframework may be used alone or may be combined with moldablematerial to formthe shank member, or flexible material, such as leatherand textile material, or other suitable material, may be 7 drawn overthe framework to give'a finished appearanceto thevmember. If desired,the shank portion may beused as a single socket member incases ofamputation below the knee by leaving off the lacer, the slip socket andthe knee joints. 1

. When the shank is formed of fiber or simil'ar'material,thelongitudinal edges are preferably brought together in suchmanner asto form an overlapping joint. F ig. 6i shows the'joint formed byproviding one of the longitudinal edges with an offset portion 104 uponwhich the other longitudinal edge isadapted to fit. The joint ispreferably reinforced by a strip 106 of substantial material, preferablymetal, securely fastened thereto on the inside by rivets, nails, screwsor other suitablefasteners, or by means of'glue. Fig. 7 shows the jointformed by overlapping the longitudinal edges which are beveled at 108 soas to form a smooth surface for the joint.

both inside and outside. This form of joint is'also preferablyreinforced by a strip 106 secured thereto upon the inside. If desired,

one part of the shank member may be made with the offset joint, whiletheother portion may be made with the beveled joint.

If desired, the shell members-may be constructed from fiber, leather,rubber, textile material or moldable material without scams or joints,either by being made to .order or by selecting the correctvv dimensionsfrom combining the standardized stock sizes and same to form the limb.

The operation and advantages of my in-' vention will be readilyunderstood from the ,foregoingdescription. The construction of theartificial limb is such as to make it light, strong and durable, and atthe same time provide a maximum degree of comfort for the wearer. Inorder to increase the strength, durability and effective operation 7 ofthe shank member, the top portions thereture-resisting to accomplish thedesired rei the inner portion of the U-piece to hold fiber under theshoulder of the strap. 7 The sult. If desired one sideof the U-shapedpiece, or a simple strip, may be extended' above the shoulder of theknee joint strap and attached thereto by riveting or brazing, so thatthe lower portion will function like the shoulder 31 of one ofv thelower knee'joint straps 60 is shown resting upon the piece or strip 33when in U form, and a rivet 35 is shown passing through the knee jointstrap, both arms of the U-shaped piece and the portion of the shankwhichis between these arms. I When the moisture-resisting strip is madeof metal it may, if desired, be riveted, soldered or welded to-the kneejoint strap above or below the shoulder 31 before the strap is securedto the shank member. The manner in which the buttons shown in Fig. 13are secured to the slip socket and to the shell members, furtherincreases the strength, durability and effective operation of myartificial limb. As previously stated, the buttons have a base portion94 which rests upon the material to which the buttons are secured. Thisbase portion in conjunction with the head of the rivet 98 reinforces'andstrengthens the material where the buttons are attached and thus preventthe latter from pulling or tearing loose. The buttons 72 in the slipsocket have an additional function in case the socket wears down. Whenthis occurs, there is a tendency for the slip socket to wedge or stickin the shank member and hence a failure to function properly. Thebuttons then come into action when located near the lower edge of thesocket shoulder, and by their engagement with the top of the shankprevent the socket from moving down far enough to stick in the shank.

I claim:

1. An artificial limb comprising a shank member and a foot member, ahollow hearing member secured to said shank member, a bearing membersecured to said foot member, said bearing member being pivotallyconnected with said hollow bearing member,

a removable'container for lubricant adapted to be secured in said hollowbearing member, the inner end of said container having a small opening,and a plug adapted to be turned into the outer'end of said container toforce small quantities of lubricant through said small opening tolubricate the contacting surfaces of said bearing members.

2. An artificial limb comprising ash-an]; member and a foot member, ahollowcylindrical bearing member secured tosaid: shank member, and ayoke member havingboth ends thereof secured to said foot member,

the intermediateportions of said yoke member having a flattened bearingsurface'engaglng sald cylindrical member. 1

, Shank 3. An artificial limb comprising a member and a foot member, ahollowcylindrical bearing member secured to said shank member, a yokemember having itsjintermediate portion .flattened to constitute abearing surface for. engaging said cylin: drical member, nuts forsecuringv both of the ends of said .yokememberto said foot member, andunitarymeans for lockingsaid nuts. V w ,3 4. An artificial limbcomprising a foot -member, a shank: member consisting of a hollow fibershell, a separate block of wood.

secured entirely within the lower end-of said shank member, a bearingmember carried by said block, and a second bearing member. carried bysaid foot member and engaging said first-mentioned bearing member.

5.'An artificial limb comprising a shank member and a foot member, anankle joint connecting saidshank and foot member, a coiledspring betweensaid shank and foot members, and an adjusting member for said spring,said adjusting member extending through said foot member, and engagingthe lower coil of said spring.

6. An artificial limb comprising a shank member and a foot member, aseparate block secured in the lower end of said shank member, acylindrical bearing member secured to said block, a yoke member securedto said foot member, the intermediate ,portionqof said yoke memberconstituting a bearing surface for engaging said cylindrical member, arecess in the lower portion of said foot member into which the lowerends of said yoke member extend, a plate in said recess, nuts on thelower'ends of said yoke member engaging said plate, means locatedbetween said nuts for locking them, a coiled spring between said' blockand said foot member, a bolt for adjusting said spring, said bolt havingscrew-threaded engagement 1gviith said plate, and means for locking said7 .An artificial limb comprising a shank member, a main foot memberpivoted to portion resting upon the top of said shank member.

V 9. An artificial limb comprising a shank member, a" shp socket, meansfor supportingvsaid socket for vertical movement 1n the upperend of saidshank member, knee joint straps secured to said shank member, a collaron the upper end of-said socket, said collar being inclined upwardlyfrom the front until it reaches said straps and having the portionsadjacent the rear edges of said straps extended downwardly and built upflush with the outer surface of said straps, whereby said built-upportions are guided both by the straps and by the verti-' cal portion ofthe topedge jof said shank member, said edge being-shaped to correspondto the shape of the lower edge of said collar. 7 v

10. An artificial limb comprising 'a hollow shank member, a slip socketadapted to work up and down in the upper end of said shank member, andconnections eX tending from the thigh of the wearer which hold saidsocket in engagement with the stump when the wearer is walking or standing and which permit automatic disengagement from the stump when theknee is bent for a sitting position.

11. An artificial limb comprising a shank member, a lacer adapted to besecured around the thigh of the wearer, connections for supporting saidshank member from said lacer, said lacer being provided with a verticalopening, a row of combined integral eyelets and hooks at each side ofsaid opening, and a lacing adapted to be engaged with either saideyelets or said hooks, or partly with each. i

12.v An artificial limb comprising a shank member having knee jointstraps extending from the knee joint to the lower end of said shankmember, a solid block within the lower end of said shank member to whichsaid knee joint straps are secured, straps extending vertically betweensaid knee joint straps and secured at their lower ends to said block,and circumferential bands 'secured to all of said straps.

l3. Anartificial limb comprising a shank I member, a separateblock inthe lower end of said shank member, the rear portion of said block beingbeveled so that the rear portion of said shank member projects be lowsaid block, and a foot member pivotally connected to said shank member,said foot,

member having a cut-out portion on the outside thereof to cooperate withthe rear .projecting portion of said shank member to form a stop andwhereby the space between the shank member and the foot member issubstantially closed. I

14:. An artificial limb comprising a shank member, knee joint strapssecured to said shank member, said straps having a portion resting uponthe top of said shank member, and a piece of moisture-resisting materialfor reinforcing said shank member where said straps rest thereon; Y I

A11 comprisi g a h member, knee joint straps secured to'said shankmember, said straps having a portion resting'iupon the top of said shankmember, an inverted U-shaped piece of metal for reinforcing said shankmember where said straps rest thereon, and a rivet passing through saidstraps, both arms of said reinforcing piece, and the portion of saidshank member between said arms.

In testimony whereof I "hereunto aflix my signature.

OSCAR E. WORMAN."

